After a 20 month hiatus, United Airlines will restore pre-departure beverages in premium cabins on its mainline flights later this month and restore glassware and ceramic cups onboard starting next month.
United Airlines Will Restore Pre-Departure Beverages On Mainline Flights In Premium Cabins
Starting on November 23rd, United Airlines will restore “pre-departure welcome beverages” onboard all mainline flights. For now, the selection will be pre-poured and limited to water or sparkling wine.
While it will not hurt to make special requests, there is not intended to be an open bar on the ground…at least for now.
Glassware Returns On United Airlines
It was just yesterday that I wrote how long overdue the return to glassware was on United. As if in direct response to my story (I don’t flatter myself – I’m sure this was long-planned and my timing happened to be right), United will restore glassware on December 1, 2021.
That includes ceramic cups for coffee/tea and the following types of glasses:
Domestic First Class:
- Highball glasses
- Wine glasses
United Polaris Business:
- Rock glasses
- Wine glasses
- Flute glasses
- Cordial glasses
- Polycarbonate glasses
- This is a glass that looks like a rock glass but is used on international flights for pre-departure beverages only
Why It Matters
Rather than rehash what I wrote about yesterday, I will only note five reasons why it actually matters that glassware and pre-departure beverages have retuned:
- It actually makes the premium cabin experience more premium – nothing screams cheap like a nice plated meal served with a disposable cups
- Coffee tastes better in a ceramic cup and wine in a glass
- I’m less worried about tipping over “real” cups and glasses, which are far less flimsy than the blue plastic cups currently in use
- Other airlines have restored glassware
- Even with washing and transport costs, there is less waste than using single-use plastic or paper cups
Bottom line, it just makes for a nicer experience overall.
CONCLUSION
Pre-departure beverages will return next week on United Airlines in premium cabins and glassware returns next month. These moves are long overdue, but welcomed.
That’s good to hear. Hopefully Delta will follow soon, though I’m not holding my breath since their meal service is so mediocre domestically now
2 questions
how will the premium transcons and longhaul HI flights be catered in terms of the glassware? As domestic first or Polaris?
Is PP still receiving the plastic?
PP will have a “real” wine glass on the tray with service.
Premium transcontinental flights traditionally had the rocks glasses – we will see what happens next month.
C’mon man. What about the ice cream sundaes? They told me they’d bring back the ice cream sundaes. They lied to me.
What does this mean for international Premium Plus?
You really have nothing better to do with your time, huh? One post is one thing, but two…
” nothing screams cheap like a nice plated meal served with a disposable cups”
A necessary step but nothing nice about the plated meals being served on premium transcon and polaris these days. They are an insult to premium fliers and not at all comparable with what Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, ANA are serving in their own JVs. Not to mention jetblue, aa, and delta on transcon.
Matthew, do you know anything about the food in first class? It was the chicken and enchilada for the longest time, and now my last 3 flights have been this disgusting “Italian ragu”. Is this the new permeant option? Will it ever go back to pre covid where it is a different meal on every flight, and you get a salad and nuts and all that even on short flights like LAX-DEN?
For now it is the chicken or Italian ragu – we will probably see that on the menu for the entire quarter, then see something else in January. Not sure when UA will go back to more a diverse meal offering in domestic first, but there are some signs this will be the case with the pre-ordering it has rolled out from ORD.
Return of glass was inevitable. Return of the PDB was not. That’s a big deal and AA and DL should most certainly follow.
Hi Matthew, love the blog! Is there an easy way to view all of the routes that are starting/resuming next month? I have been looking around at the schedule and it seems like a new schedule goes into effect on Dec 16 and there are a ton of new routes.
SFO/LAX-TPA
SFO/LAX-RSW
LAX-YVR
IAH-NRT
IAH-AMS
A ton of Colorado and other mountain towns starting from DEN, SFO, LAX.
Also, I noticed LAX-SYD changes to a 777-300ER and LAX-NRT changes to a retrofitted 787-9 with PP for sale.
Do you know if all these things I mentioned are finalized? I assume the Dec 16 schedule would be locked in by now. Very exciting to see all these flights!
Scott, thanks for reading my comments in Matt’s story about your bigger is better announcement. Now get to work on the rest of the list…
How ironic as I just commented here (in reality bitched) about the lack of a PDB a few days ago. All I can say now is HURRAY and it’s about time. The limited choice of sparkling wine or water (which I hope is cold) isn’t exactly thrilling but I’ll take it as a modest victory. I have one more round trip on UA before December 1st. With luck that will be the last of my snickerdoodles and warm water.
On United San/Ord yesterday 23rd same old plastic and no predeparture offerings. Wasn’t catering issue either.